DEP And DEC to Mark National Trails Day With Community Hike Up Ticeteneyck Mountain

June 2 hike in Ulster County will include talks on the Catskill Park and Ashokan Reservoir

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will host a community hike to the summit of Ticeteneyck Mountain on June 2 to celebrate National Trails Day. Participants will meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Catskill Interpretive Center, located at 5096 Route 28 in Mount Tremper.

Hikers will learn about the principles of Leave No Trace, the Catskill Park and Forest Preserve, and Ashokan Reservoir’s role in providing clean drinking water to New York City. Ticeteneyck Mountain is located in Ulster County along the town border of Olive and Woodstock. This moderate hike will comprise a 3.5-mile round trip. The hike follows old woods roads and ridgelines that open to spectacular views of the Catskill Mountains, Shawangunk Mountains and Ashokan Reservoir.

Because the event is limited to 15 people, participants must pre-register by clicking here or by visiting DEP’s Facebook page. Participants are also encouraged to bring water, snacks or lunch, and wear proper attire for hiking.

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing more than 1 billion gallons of high-quality water each day to more than 9.6 million New Yorkers. This includes more than 70 upstate communities and institutions in Ulster, Orange, Putnam and Westchester counties who consume an average of 110 million total gallons of drinking water daily from New York City’s water supply system. This water comes from the Catskill, Delaware, and Croton watersheds that extend more than 125 miles from the City, and the system comprises 19 reservoirs, three controlled lakes, and numerous tunnels and aqueducts. DEP has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 scientists, engineers, surveyors, watershed maintainers and other professionals in the watershed. In addition to its $70 million payroll and $166 million in annual taxes paid in upstate counties, DEP has invested more than $1.7 billion in watershed protection programs—including partnership organizations such as the Catskill Watershed Corporation and the Watershed Agricultural Council—that support sustainable farming practices, environmentally sensitive economic development, and local economic opportunity. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program with $19.1 billion in investments planned over the next decade that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.